Foldable stand

ABSTRACT

A foldable stand having a head member and at least three legs pivotally connected to the head member so that the legs can be spread from each other in a position of use and adjacent to each other for a position of non-use. The head member has a central rotary member secured to and depending therefrom and a plurality of blade springs are provided secured to each leg at one end and the other end pressing in contact with the head member.

[30] I Fore i gn Application Priority Data Feb. 12,1970 7 Switzerland..2033/7O S QT UISTELQQ 218/165 [51] Int. Cl ..F16m 11/38 [58] Field ofSearch ..248/46, 96, 168, 169, 170, 248/171 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 507,178 [0/1893 Smith ..248/l70 996,524 6/l9llRaudabaugh... ..248/l69 X 1,593,415 7/1926 Perkins l ..248/l70 2.8753723/1959 Shaw ct ill. .248/168 Umted States Patent 1 [111 3,716,211

Butz [451 Feb. 13, 1973 [54] FOLDABLE STAND 3,257,091 6 19 6 Muller..248/l69 [76] Inventor: Josef Butz, Muhletsbelstrasse 20, FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Rorschach, Switzerland 93,491 10/1896 Germany..248/ l 70 [22] Filed: Feb. 11, 1971 2 1 Nod Primary Examiner-WilliamSChUltZ Attorney-Watson, Cole, Grindle & Watson [5 7] ABSTRACT Afoldable stand having a head member and at least three legs pivotallyconnected to the head member so that the legs can be spread from eachother in a position of use and adjacent to each other for a position ofnon-use. The head member has a central rotary member secured to anddepending therefrom and a plurality of blade springs are providedsecured to each leg at one end and the other end pressing in contactwith the head member.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDFEB 13 1975 3,716.21. 1

SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR.

1% d BUZZ BY FOLDABLE STAND The invention relates to a foldable standwith at least three legs pivotally connected to a head member so thatthe legs can be spread from each other in a position of use and adjacentto each other for a position of non-use.

As to stands known heretofore, the legs are held in spread-apartposition by spring force and can be folded together by force counter tothe spring or springs. In this position they can be shoved into aprotecting casing so that the stand in non-use can be stored in a smallspace. By such structures, for example, each leg is connected at theupper end with one end of a spiral spring, whereas the other end of thespring is connected to a head piece, so that the springs will hold thelegs in spread-apart position and with bent springs enable the legs tobe folded together so that the stand can be stored.

In another known structure, a stand is provided in which the legs arepivoted to a head piece which is connected to the upper end of a centralguide pipe and each leg is pivoted to a lever which is pivotallyconnected with a slidable part on the guide pipe whereby a spring aroundthe guide pipe has one end secured against the head piece and the otherend abutting against the slidable part in order to hold the leg in itsspread-apart position.

It is an object of this invention to simplify the stand in order that itshall in addition hold the legs of the stand as well in its spreadposition as also in its folded together position held by springpressure. This is attained in the stand according to theinvention byhaving a central me mber secured in and depending from the head memberand having a plurality of circumferential surface zones, and a pluralityof blade springs each secured at one end to a leg and the other endpressing in contact with the circumferential surface zones so that inone position of the legs the blade springs will hold the legs apart inthe position of use of the stand and in another position the springswill hold the legs adjacent to each other to position the stand innon-use. In this way due to the spring action against the rotary body,each spring not only is pressed against the central member in itsunfolded position of the legs but also in the folded position.

Further objects will be apparent from the following description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section of the stand in open positionready. for use; and

FIG. 2 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 with the stand in foldedposition.

The stand according to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing shows three legs 1,2 and 3 hingedly connected. The legs are circumferentially equallyconnected and divided, that is they are concentrically mounted with anangle of 120 between each. two legs connected to a head member 4 at theupper ends. The'head member 4 is provided with a downwardly extendingmember 5 securely depending from the head member and coaxial with thestands middle axis. The member 5 consists of a double ball member withblunt or obtuse sections in the form of a double conical formed surfacefrom its largest diametrical plane projecting from both directions as tothe central plane as conical surfaces 6 and 7 and with a cylindricalpart 8 projecting from the conical surface 6, the part 8 having the headmember secured thereto.

On the inner side of each leg as to the rotary body there is secured atan end a leaf spring 9 which is fastened by means of a pin or rivet land at the other end is bent in a plurality of wave forms one continuingfrom the next. The two conical surfaces or sections 6 and 7 of thedouble cone on the end of the member form the rest surfaces for the waveformed spring blades 9 and are actually such that when the legs arefolded as in FIG. 2 of the drawing, the section 11 of the springs areresting against the upper cone surface 6. In the open or unfoldedposition of the legs, as in use, the ends of the springs as at curvedsection 12 will contact and rest against the lower conical surface 7 andactually somewhat below the largest diameter plane as shown in FIG. 1.Since the blade springs, due to their forces in the position of use, arein contact with the rotary body somewhat below the greatest diametricalplane of the rotation body, each leg is fixed in the position as shownin FIG. 1. 0n the other hand, the three legs cannot swing outwardlyunintentionally from the position of FIG. 2, since the section 11 of thesprings in FIG. 2 contact the conical surface 6 and thus the legs remainin a folded position, and these legs 1, 2 and 3 can only swing outwardlyas in FIG. 1 when the spring forces are exceeded. In order to strengthenthe contact force of each spring, a short additional spring 13 can beutilized for each leg between the spring and its leg. This additionalspring 13 extends almost to the wave section 11 and each spring 13 issecured to its rivet which latter also secures the spring 9.

On the head member 4 there can be mounted a ball member or a ring toserve as a carrying means and to facilitate the setting up of the stand.The length of the legs can be any dimension as desired and as to thedrawings foot members have not been shown since they can comprise anydesired design and size.

The described stand can be used for various purposes, as for example tosupport portable street direction signals and signs. Also the stand canbe used to support optical instruments, cameras and telescopes as wellas a variety of objects and devices. Also the legs can comprisetelescoping parts so that the stand can be adjusted for height andinclination. Actually the stand can be used for a large variety ofobjects and devices.

I claim:

1. A foldable stand comprising a head member, at least three legspivotally connected to said head member to permit said legs to be spreadfrom each other into a position of use and adjacent to each other into aposition of non-use, a central member secured to said head member anddepending therefrom, said central member having a two adjacent conicalsurfaces along the length thereof, the first of said surfaces convergingdownwardly and the second of said surfaces converging upwardly, and ablade spring secured at one end to each of said legs with the other endof each said spring being bent away from said central member, a portionof each said spring adjacent said bent end having a profile which iscurved toward its associated leg, each said spring so arranged that itsbent end presses against said first conical surface when said legs arein a position of use thereby serving to hold said legs spread apart, andeach said spring being also arranged that a portion of its curvedprofile presses against said second surface when said legs are in aposition of non-use thereby serving to hold said legs adjacent oneanother.

2. A foldable stand according to claim 1 in which an 5 additional bladespring is secured on each said blade spring at said one end to therebyprovide additional spring force for each said spring.

1. A foldable stand comprising a head member, at least three legspivotally connected to said head member to permit said legs to be spreadfrom each other into a position of use and adjacent to each other into aposition of non-use, a central member secured to said head member anddepending therefrom, said central member having a two adjacent conicalsurfaces along the length thereof, the first of said surfaces convergingdownwardly and the second of said surfaces converging upwardly, and ablade spring secured at one end to each of said legs with the other endof each said spring being bent away from said central member, a portionof each said spring adjacent said bent end having a profile which iscurved toward its associated leg, each said spring so arranged that itsbent end presses against said first conical surface when said legs arein a position of use thereby serving to hold said legs spread apart, andeach said spring being also arranged that a portion of its curvedprofile presses against said second surface when said legs are in aposition of non-use thereby serving to hold said legs adjacent oneanother.
 1. A foldable stand comprising a head member, at least threelegs pivotally connected to said head member to permit said legs to bespread from each other into a position of use and adjacent to each otherinto a position of non-use, a central member secured to said head memberand depending therefrom, said central member having a two adjacentconical surfaces along the length thereof, the first of said surfacesconverging downwardly and the second of said surfaces convergingupwardly, and a blade spring secured at one end to each of said legswith the other end of each said spring being bent away from said centralmember, a portion of each said spring adjacent said bent end having aprofile which is curved toward its associated leg, each said spring soarranged that its bent end presses against said first conical surfacewhen said legs are in a position of use thereby serving to hold saidlegs spread apart, and each said spring being also arranged that aportion of its curved profile presses against said second surface whensaid legs are in a position of non-use thereby serving to hold said legsadjacent one another.